Death of FM radio? Traditional signal faces a UK government switch-off as digital listening passes the 50% milestone

Rajar industry body says 49.2 million tuned in to their chosen stations each week

Rather than buying traditional radio, people in the UK are moving to digital

Listeners tune into 20.8 hours of radio per week of which 50.9% was digital

This was made up of DAB (36.8%), online and apps (9.3%), and Digital TV (4.8%)

Government to undertake a review which could result in FM being switched off

FM radios could become a thing of the past, with the marching rise of their digital counterparts.

New figures reveal that, for the first time, more people are tuning into DAB and listening online than sitting in front of the wireless.

The radio industry milestone saw digital listening reaching a new record share of 50.9 per cent, up from 47.2 per cent just one year ago.

The finding makes it more likely that FM frequencies could b consigned to the dustbin of history.

The landmark will trigger a government review into whether the analogue FM radio signal should be switched off altogether, according to reports.

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FM radios could become a thing of the past, with the marching rise of their digital counterparts. New figures reveal that, for the first time, more people are tuning into DAB and listening online than sitting in front of the wireless (stock image)

Industry monitor Rajar, based in London's Oxford Street, announced that 49.2 million adults, or 90 per cent of the adult UK population, tuned in to their selected radio stations each week in the first quarter of 2018.

This was up by approximately 900,000 adults on the same quarter of the previous year.

The total average number of weekly hours listened to radio for this quarter is 1.026 billion.

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The landmark will trigger a Government review into whether the analogue FM radio signal (transmitter pictured) should be switched off altogether, according to reports online (stock image)

ARE WE ENTERING A NEW GOLDEN AGE OF DIGITAL RADIO?

FM radios could become a thing of the past, with the marching rise of their digital counterparts.

New figures revealed in May 2018 that, for the first time, more people were tuning into DAB and listening online than sitting in front of the wireless.

The radio industry milestone saw digital listening reaching a new record share of 50.9 per cent, up from 47.2 per cent just one year ago.

The finding makes it more likely that FM frequencies could b consigned to the dustbin of history.

Industry monitor Rajar announced that 49.2 million adults, or 90 per cent of the adult UK population, tuned in to their selected radio stations each week in the first quarter of 2018.

This was up by approximately 900,000 adults on the same quarter of the previous year.

The total average number of weekly hours listened to radio for this quarter is 1.026 billion.

On average a listener tunes into 20.8 hours of live radio per week.

Of this listening, 50.9 per cent was digital, comprised of DAB (36.8 per cent), online and apps (9.3 per cent) and Digital TV (4.8 per cent)

On average a listener tunes into 20.8 hours of live radio per week.

Of this listening, 50.9 per cent was digital, comprised of DAB (36.8 per cent), online and apps (9.3 per cent) and Digital TV (4.8 per cent).

Norway became the first country in the world to end FM radio when it cut the signal in January 2017..

Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signals familiar in the UK, Europe and many other parts of the world are not used in the US.

Instead, local AM/FM stations often us HD Radio technology to provide a digital broadcast to listener.

‘Even five years ago this situation was unthinkable,’ said Ford Ennals, chief executive of Digital Radio UK, the company overseeing the nationwide digital switchover, said in 2017

‘People predicted radio would fall away – it’s extraordinary when you think about the fragmentation of the media’, he told the Financial Times.

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During the last three months of 2016 170 new local and national digital stations were launched, bringing the total number in the UK to 339. Despite its current success, digital radio will have to adapt to shifting listening habits as younger listeners replace older ones

During the last three months of 2016 170 new local and national digital stations were launched, bringing the total number in the UK to 339.

Despite its current success, digital radio will have to adapt to shifting listening habits as younger listeners replace older ones.

Data suggests that just over half of people between the ages of 15 and 24 listen to live radio, compared with 88 per cent of people over the age of 55.

BBC Radio 1, which is principally focused at a younger audience, lost 1 million listeners last in 2016.

Bob Shennen, director of Radio at the BBC, said: ‘Young people are just not listening for as long’, but added the medium was ‘very good at reaffirming its core values’.

The BBC currently enjoys a dominant share of the total listening hours in the UK, account for 53 per cent, with Radio 2 alone accounting for 17 per cent.

WHAT DIGITAL RADIO IS AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES?

Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signals familiar in the UK, Europe and many other parts of the world are not used in the US.

Instead, local AM/FM stations often us HD Radio technology to provide a digital broadcast to listeners.

Many of these stations broadcast a digital signal that offers you additional features that wouldn't exist on an Analogue signal.

In order for your radio to receive the digital signal, it needs to be a certified digital receiver.

HD Radio broadcasts are completely subscription-free, and provided by the radio stations themselves.

New programming is discovered through the station guide on HDRadio.com or HDRadio Guide App, available on iOS and Android.